Homegrown Music Festival

It's that time of year again! Homegrown Music Festival is back, and it's bigger than ever!This year's festival showcases 200 local artists that are sure to rock your face off.

The festival is a chance for people of all ages to come and experience the talent of a wide variety of artists. "I love the festival," says Breanne Tepler, advertising representative for the festival and member of the band Breanne Marie & The Front Porch Sinners. "It's a local nonprofit so that's fun to support but, more than that, it's a whole week dedicated to the support and promotion of live local talent which I am proud to be a part of and a fan of."

The Homegrown Music Festival first began in 1999 as a birthday party for a man named Scott "Starfire" Lunt. Eventually, the festival was donated to Bridge Syndicate, a local nonprofit organization committed to increasing cultural opportunities in the Twin Ports. The festival is now run by a committee of volunteers, dedicated to providing Duluth as much artistic culture as possible.

The festival started as just a few bands but as it continued to grow over the years, a wide variety of acts were included in the lineup. From rock to hip-hop, country to an 18-member flute choir, this year boasts bands of all genres that are packed into theaters, bars and coffee shops over the course of eight days. This year also includes a music-video showcase, a photography exhibit, a two-hour long poetry reading, belling dancing, fire spinning, kickball, and multitudes of unplanned craziness.

The festival started on April 27, but there are still a few more days to join in the fun. Here's the schedule:

Breanne leaves us with this advice, "Seriously go out and enjoy live music. Life isn't about the stuff you buy, it's about the experiences and the memories you make. They are priceless and last a lifetime." Now go out there and support the music!